It had been three years since Johnny Jolly last stepped onto a football field with the Green Bay Packers. That changed Tuesday as Jolly once again stepped on the practice field with the Packers for the team’s mini-camp.
Trouble with drugs (mainly codeine) led to a suspension from the league and jail time for the Packers defensive tackle. He hasn’t played in an NFL game since the 2009 season and still faces an uphill climb to return to game action. But one major change in Jolly’s life has improved the chances of him being able to return to the league.
According to Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Jolly said Tuesday he hasn’t had codeine in 19 months.
“I haven’t had no codeine in almost two years,” said Jolly. “Probably 19 months. My body feels great. I feel good, ready to play.”
Jolly was arrested twice for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute as police found 200 and 600 grams of codeine, respectively, in Jolly’s possession in two separate incidents. He was sentenced to six years in prison but released just six months later.
He entered rehabilitation and cleaned up his life before being reinstated by the league in February.